[ap72]

In some cases even 1/4 turn is more than enough, but with aluminum heads and/or block you'll need a little more because it expands more than steel when heated.

[Montebrian]

Also, There still to this day are engine builders using very substandard assembly lubes. Thinking "Old School" is better with assembly lubes is very wrong.

I know a restoration company that works on "Jay Leno Level Money" cars and the machinist there still thinks Lubriplate 105 or White lithium grease as it is known as is the hot ticket....Well no sir. DONT ever put white lithium in my engine.

Many engine builders are also fooled into these lubes that are red and sticky...That they think are great. Many are still grease based. Grease=BAD even if it does have moly & graphite...NO NO.

Grease does not mix with motor oils, Grease, especially white lithium turns into a abrasive after the suspended cheap oils leach out. Lithium is a clay based soap...That holds the cheap oil they use in place. after awhile it will turn from white to yellow or carmel color...Drying out. Once it dries out totally it reverts to a fine silt clay....Dirt.

White lithium and other greases can plug oil filters and cause oil to bypass them. And the grease never fully mixes into the oil even after a period of time.

Always use a sythetic cam lube such as Torco, Redline Etc. and general engine assembly lube should not be grease based. Torco I am very familiar with mixes in with the oil eventually and it does not plug filters and it never dries out ever.
Torco is basically a gelled racing oil product that is thick and viscous but doesnt have the same issues as grease. Engines can be built and stored for years on end and no worries about lube at startup.

Valco sells two other versions of the same type of product. One is in a Aerosol Can called Gellube 710XX756 and 5oz. Squeeze tube that is labeled Assmebly lube HP which is the new name for Torco Cam lube. 710XX747

Valco is at www.valco-cp.com or 1-800-788-3865 and they can tell you where to buy it or take a order if your in a very rural area.

Doing technical service for the company for many years I have alot of chemical experience and I have seen many good and bad things in countless machine shops all over the eastern US. Its unbelievable the mistakes some engine builders make and then on the other hand how perfect others are...Heck some are as meticulous as surgeons. Not always easy to tell the difference at a glance.

[Custom10]

Originally Posted by ap72

Not enough preload, if you set the prelaod with a cold enigne it reduces when the engine warms up- hence the difference between hot and cold lash on a solid tappet engine.

I would have thought that the preload would increase on warm up due to expansion of push rods an other connected components? The noise I am experiencing actually decreases when I set the rockers 1/4 turn past zero rather than 3/4 or 1 full turn. Just me thinking out loud but if the XE cams ramp rate is such that it is setting down the valves very quickly as well as opening them quickly then on closing with less preload the hyd lifter would have a better chance of providing some cushioning. That is why my chatter decreases with less preload?

[Montebrian]

The pushrods and lifter etc. being steel will expand but very little. Aluminum heads however grow 5 times as much or more. So if you have aluminum heads it will cause the valve lash preload to be reduced.


My Dad's Brad Anderson Hemi Motor is all aluminum...From pan to hat and its has a 14.71 blower on alcohol. The blower belt when the engine is cold is slack and loose. After warm up of the engine the belt is tight. The engine grows between 1/4-1/2" in height after its warmed up. Its amazing. Also makes 3,000 horsepower without Nitro.

[ap72]

Originally Posted by Custom10

I would have thought that the preload would increase on warm up due to expansion of push rods an other connected components? The noise I am experiencing actually decreases when I set the rockers 1/4 turn past zero rather than 3/4 or 1 full turn. Just me thinking out loud but if the XE cams ramp rate is such that it is setting down the valves very quickly as well as opening them quickly then on closing with less preload the hyd lifter would have a better chance of providing some cushioning. That is why my chatter decreases with less preload?

the head and block are MUCH hotter than the push rods

And you may have problems from too much preload, try it with 1/8 turn and see what happens. I've set them with DNN when the engine was hot.

[my87Z]

I never cared for Lunati (i dont know why never had any problems) but the Lunati Voodoo cams do actually look pretty nice, and one is maybe even a little bit more what i though i was looking for, i didn't want the XE284 i think that for my set up it may be a little too high reving @ up to 6500RPM, but i would like a little more duration@ 050 than 230/236 with the XE274 plus i wanted more lift than .490/.490 (thus my delema with 1.5 vs 1.6 rockers) im pretty sure i want to run the 1.5's (which i already have and should be fine to run on this set up) then i look at the Voodoo cams and they have a 276/284 cam very similar to the XE274

XE274: 274/286 pn# 60104: 278/284
230/236 233/241
.490/.490 .504/.525
110LSA/106ICL 110LSA/106ICL

i kinda like the numbers from the Lunati a little better, but dont know much about these cams

[my87Z]

i had it seperated when i typed it but i guess it change it when i submitted the post

XE274: 274/286 230/236 .490/.490 110lsa 106icl

60104: 278/284 233/241 .504/.525 110lsa 106icl

[Custom10]

Originally Posted by ap72

the head and block are MUCH hotter than the push rods

And you may have problems from too much preload, try it with 1/8 turn and see what happens. I've set them with DNN when the engine was hot.

OK I can see your point on the expansion note. Yes I am going to try it with as little preload as possible maybe the 1/8th you mention thanks.

[Fast 4 Door]

Ok. I just finished my 400gm w/ a comp XR270 . I wanted to go one up but my engine guru talked me down to a 270 because it is an everyday driver. I chose Comp hydraulic roller lifters, with the link bar. I had to settle for what seems to be an excellent full roller rocker made by PRW for short money. I chose RHS heads assembled by RHS ( who is a comp cam partner) made specifically for my cam. Here is where it gets fun. I have never heard anything"Bad" about CC. until now. I'm not even sure its "Bad", My motor is bad to the bone. However,it makes a fair amount of noise, like a sewing machine.This baffled me AND my guru.I only have a few hundred miles on it now and am still trying to figure out where it is coming from.Some say its link bar noise. some say its the cam, in fact, comp cams tech told me it was because of the cam. My guru isn't having it.I adjusted the valves a second time,changed the oil and .. same thing. I have also read,some people have been able to almost eliminate the noise by going to a different oil wt. So... where do I go from here?after all if I wanted noise, I would have gone with solids. Don't take this the wrong way. it isn't THAT noisy, just louder than expected. Oh yeah, the cam, Awesome. Please reply?

[87iroc]

My guess is the sewing machine sound is coming from your rockers. My comp rockers make a sort of sewing machine sound. Its the needle bearings in them, I believe.

The link bar probably wouldn't help matters any...but my guess as its so audible from the sounds of it...it is probably the rockers just under the valve covers(as opposed to the rockers just under the intake

[my87Z]

this thread is almost a year old and i ended up going with a howards solid flat tappit cam instead of one of comps XE cams.

if you need some advise you may want to start a new thread

[87iroc]

Holy Thread Resurrection Batman!!

I never paid any attention to the date!

[cobalt327]

As long as it is relevant, bringing up an old thread is fine!

[Fast 4 Door]

Originally Posted by 87iroc

Holy Thread Resurrection Batman!!

I never paid any attention to the date!

I'm a new user, Didn't see the date myself. Thats funny.Batman is even funnier. But reallly. Im open to suggestions or past experiences. Thanks!

[my87Z]

Originally Posted by Fast 4 Door

I'm a new user, Didn't see the date myself. Thats funny.Batman is even funnier. But reallly. Im open to suggestions or past experiences. Thanks!

i wasn't trying to be mean in what i said, i just thought that you might get a better response if you started a brand new thread. and that way people would end up reading all the old stuff before they got to your question.

that was all. welcome to the site